The Rich Benefits of Sleep

Researchers from the University of Warwick studied more than 30,000 adults over four years and found that those who got better sleep experienced long-term benefits equivalent to the mental and physical health benefits of winning a lottery jackpot of about €200,000 — or $213,350.

Study participants completed a questionnaire used by mental health professionals to gauge psychological well-being, both at the beginning and the end of the four-year span.

Those who improved their quality and quantity of sleep and used less sleep medication increased their scores so they were comparable to lottery winners who were tested two years after a medium-sized lottery win.

They also scored similarly to patients who took an eight-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program.

It’s Not All In Your Head

Well-rested study participants also got better scores on a survey that tested physical and emotional health and the ability to perform everyday tasks.

Conversely, those who reported declines in sleep quality and quantity and who took more sleep medication over the course of four years showed worsened physical and mental outcomes.

Bottom line: Sleep makes you feel good inside and out.

“It is refreshing to see the healing potential of sleep outside of clinical trial settings, as this goes to show that the benefits of better sleep are accessible to everyone and not reserved for those with extremely bad sleep requiring intensive treatments,” Nicole Tang, one of the study’s co-authors, said in a university press release.

While the study wasn’t designed to show a definitive cause-and-effect relationship between better sleep and overall well-being, Tang said it showed a positive link between the two when considering long-term effects.

Another interesting takeaway: The study also found that quality of sleep is more important than quantity. Changes in sleep quality had the biggest impact on well-being, followed by changes in the use of sleep meds and lastly by changes in the amount of time asleep.

Tang said the next step is to see what lifestyle factors and activities contribute to better sleep.